Financial Assistance for Studying On Campus in the U.S.

If you’re thinking of attending an on campus program at either the Carlsbad or New York campus, you may be eligible for financial assistance.

Federal financial assistance is currently available for the on campus Graduate Gemologist, Graduate Jeweler, and Applied Jewelry Arts programs and may consist of scholarships, grants, or loans, depending upon your eligibility. 

On average, our on-campus students who qualify for financial aid and enroll in the Graduate Gemologist, Graduate Jeweler, or Applied Jewelry Arts Program receive approximately $5,000 to $9,000 in a combination of student grants and loans to help pay for their GIA education. Since the approximate total cost of tuition and living expenses for GIA six-month, on-campus programs ranges from $27,000 to $31,000, the amount of financial aid received is not sufficient to pay all of the costs associated with attending GIA on-campus. As such, we strongly advise you to plan in advance to establish your own sources of financial support to help pay for your education since the amount of financial aid we can provide is limited.

Who is eligible:  

To apply for student loans and grants, you must:
• Be a U.S. citizen or hold U.S. Permanent Resident status
• Plan to enroll in one of GIA's full-time on-campus programs
• Eligible programs include Graduate Gemologist, Graduate Jeweler, or Applied Jewelry Arts at either the New York or Carlsbad campus

Click here for the Financial Aid Application. To utilize the full interactive version of this application, download the free Acrobat Reader.

To contact a financial aid representative,  call 800 421 7205 ext 4005, or email financialaid@gia.edu

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Information:    

Prior to filling out the FAFSA, you will need to go to the FAFSA PIN website http://www.pin.ed.gov/ to apply for a PIN (personal identification number).  If you were born after December 31, 1987, one of your parents must apply for a PIN as well.

Once you have your PIN, and  your parents have theirs (if you were born after December 31, 1987), gather the following documents to complete your FAFSA online:

• Your Social Security card
• Your Alien Registration or Permanent Resident card (if you are not a U.S. Citizen)
• Your driver’s license (if you have one)
• Your 2010 W-2 forms and other records of money earned
• Your 2010 Federal Income Tax Return (1040, 1040A, 1040EZ)
• Your parents’ 2010 Federal Income Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)
• Your 2010 untaxed income records
• Your current bank statements
• Your business and investment records

Once you have gathered the information necessary to complete your FAFSA, go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Note that all fields on the FAFSA form must be filled in.

For classes starting between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012, complete the 2011-2012 FAFSA.

Types of Aid:

• Federal Pell Grant – This Federal grant is available to qualified students who have not yet received a bachelor's degree. Award based upon need and Congressional appropriation.
•  Federal SEOG Grant – This Federal grant is available to qualified student who have not yet received a bachelor's degree. Award based upon need and available funds.
•  State of California Cal Grant C – This grant is available to California residents only. Qualified students must have not yet received a bachelor's degree. The deadline is March 1 for the upcoming academic year. Refer to http://www.csac.ed.gov/ for more details on applying for Cal Grant C.

Loans

• Federal Perkins Loan - This 5% interest Federal student loan is available to qualified students. The award amounts are based upon need and available funds
•  Subsidized Loan - This Federally subsidized student loan is available to qualified students. The loan amounts range from $2,555 to $3,030 per six-month program depending upon eligibility, educational program, grade level and previous loan indebtedness under this program.
•  Direct Unsubsidized Loan - This Federally unsubsidized student loan is available to qualified students. The loan amounts range from $1,730 to $8,250 per six-month program depending upon eligibility, educational program, grade level and previous loan indebtedness under this program.
•  Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) - This Federally guaranteed parent loan is available through qualified participating program lenders to parents of dependent students. Parent eligibility is determined based upon credit requirements established by the lenders. Parents who meet the lender requirements may borrow up to the cost of education minus any financial aid the student is receiving.
•  Private Alternative Student Loans - These private alternative loans are available from some lenders. The interest rates vary, as do the loan repayment terms. Eligibility is generally based on a good credit history and proof of income. You may not borrow more than your cost of education less any financial aid received.
  
  

Click here to view the GIA Financial Aid Handbook.

To contact a financial aid representative,  call 800 421 7205 ext 4005, or email financialaid@gia.edu

GIA Scholarships 
GIA now offers scholarships during two application periods each year. Applications received between March 1 and April 30 will be considered for scholarships that can be applied toward the tuition and fees for GIA Distance Education eLearning programs and courses or lab classes that take place during the current calendar year. Applications received between June 15 and October 30 will be considered for scholarships that can be applied toward the tuition and fees for GIA on campus or eLearning programs and courses or lab classes with start dates for the upcoming calendar year.

Applications for scholarship awards that can be applied toward programs, courses, and Lab classes in the upcoming calendar year (2013) will be accepted June 15 through October 30. 

Scholarship materials for the March 1 scholarship season will be available March 1, 2012. 

For scholarship questions, please call 800 421 7250 ext.4131 or email scholarship@gia.edu